Alamo Group, LLC v. A & G Realty Partners, LLC
Alamo Group, LLC v. A & G Realty Partners, LLC
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
INTRODUCTION
Before the Court is Defendants’ 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation. Because Plaintiffs fail to allege materiality, a necessary element of a Delaware common law fraud claim, the Court will grant Defendants’ Motion.
JURISDICTION
This Court has jurisdiction over this matter under 28 U.S.C. §§ 157 and 1384. This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2) and the Court has the judicial power to enter a final order. Moreover, the Court retained jurisdiction over this matter in Aticle X (“Retention of Jurisdiction”) of the above-captioned Debtors’ Amended Chapter 11 Plan
Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1408 and 1409.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
This is an adversary proceeding alleging fraudulent misrepresentation. Plaintiffs are Aamo Group, LLC and Kirin Aamo, LLC (together, “Plaintiffs”). Each is organized under the laws of the State of California, with its principle place of business in Aamo, California. Defendants are A & G Realty Partners, LLC and Michael Jerbich (together, “Defendants” or “Defendant Brokers”).
Subsequently, Debtors sold substantially all operating assets to an affiliate of Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores. The
The most valuable of the Remaining Leases was a property in Merced, California (the “Merced Lease”). The Merced Lease was particularly attractive because it was a “ground lease,” which allows a landlord to assume all of a tenant’s im-' provements to a property once that lease expires. Primarily interested in the Merced Lease, Plaintiffs negotiated with Defendant Brokers to purchase Debtors’ rights to the Remaining Leases. Plaintiffs’ resulting deal with Debtors was a Designation Rights Agreement for the Purchase of Designation Rights Relating to Leasehold Interests of Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation, Orchard Supply Hardware LLC, and OSH Properties by Alamo Group (the “Designation Rights Agreement”).
The essential terms of the Designation Rights Agreement were that in exchange for $315,000 from Plaintiffs, Debtors would transfer, to Plaintiffs, the right to accept or reject assumption of any of the Remaining Leases for a specified period of time. The Bankruptcy Court scheduled a hearing regarding the proposed sale. One business day before the sale hearing, Defendant Brokers informed Plaintiffs of a competing bid from two individuals, Tom and Joe Gong. The form of the bid was a binding letter of intent offering $1.1 million to purchase rights to only the Merced Lease.
In response, Plaintiffs requested a copy of the Gongs’ letter. Plaintiffs allege that Defendant Brokers refused to provide a copy unless Plaintiffs agreed to sign a nondisclosure agreement. The nondisclosure agreement allegedly prevented Plaintiffs from contacting the Gongs prior to the sale hearing. Accepting the nondisclosure agreement, Plaintiffs reviewed the letter of intent. Plaintiffs’ Complaint states, “the LOI, which on its face, appeared to be legitimate, and which coupled with the Defendant Brokers’ representations, led Plaintiffs to believe that the Gongs had done sufficient due diligence on the property, that the Gongs’ deal with Debtors would work ...”
Facing the competing offer, Plaintiffs increased their bid to $1.2 million for rights to all of the Remaining Leases. Debtors accepted the new price, and the Designation Rights Agreement was amended accordingly. On October 21, 2013, the Court approved a sale based on the terms of the Amended Designation Rights Agreement.
Plaintiffs now allege that the Gongs’ competing bid was a sham transaction. According to Plaintiffs, Defendant Brokers “engaged in a scheme to drive their commissions up by instructing the [Gongs] to submit an exponentially greater bid ...”
Plaintiffs further allege that Defendant Brokers intentionally misrepresented certain details about the Gongs’ counteroffer. Purportedly, Defendants said that the letter of intent was unsolicited and that Defendants did not have any previous contact with the Gongs. These statements were made directly in response to Plaintiffs’ questions. Plaintiffs, however, concede that the terms of the Designation Rights Agreement did not prohibit another buyer from outbidding Plaintiffs.
Plaintiffs state that they relied on Defendants’ alleged misrepresentations in increasing their bid. Specifically, Plaintiffs would have not made the higher offer if they had known of Defendants’ earlier communications with the Gongs. Plaintiffs instead would “have let the proposed $1.1 deal with the Gongs fall though, and [revisited] the original $315,000 offer with Debtors, which Debtors would have accepted.”
On March 26, 2014, Plaintiffs filed this adversary Complaint for fraudulent misrepresentation. On May 19, 2014, Defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Defendants offer several supporting theories, including that Plaintiffs fail to state a claim for common law fraud under Delaware law. The Court agrees that Plaintiffs fail to plead the necessary elements of a Delaware fraud claim, and therefore narrows its ruling to this particular issue.
LEGAL DISCUSSION
A. Motion to Dismiss Standard
A motion under Rule 12(b)(6)
In Iqbal, the Supreme Court makes clear that the Twombly “facial plausibility” pleading requirement applies to all civil suits in the federal courts.
After Iqbal, the Third Circuit has instructed this Court to “conduct a two-part analysis. First the factual and legal elements of a claim should be separated. The [court] must accept all of the complaint’s well-pleaded facts as true, but may disregard any legal conclusions.”
B. Choice of Law
As a threshold matter, the Court must decide whether to apply the substantive laws of Delaware or California. Urging the Court to apply Delaware law to determine Plaintiffs’ claim, Defendants point to Section 10.15 of the Amended Designation Rights Agreement: “This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and the rights of the parties determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof ...”
Plaintiffs’ claim for fraudulent misrepresentation is covered by the choice of law provision in the Amended Designation of Rights Agreement. To begin, a federal court must apply the choice of law principles of the state in which it sits.
Since Section 10.15 of the Amended Designation of Rights Agreement specifies Delaware law, the only remaining question is whether Delaware has a “material relationship” to the transaction between Plaintiffs and Defendant Brokers. The subject of this lawsuit is the sale of the OSH entities’ lease designation rights. Lead Debtor OSH was a Delaware corporation, and it was this Court, sitting in Delaware, which approved the sale to Plaintiffs. Be
C. Fraudulent Misrepresentation Claim
In Delaware, the elements of common law fraud are: (1) a false representation of material fact made by the defendant; (2) the defendant’s knowledge or belief that the representation was false, or was made with reckless indifference to the truth; (3) an intent to induce the plaintiff to act or to refrain from acting; (4) the plaintiffs action or inaction taken in justifiable reliance upon the representation; and (5) damage to the plaintiff as a result of such reliance.
A false statement is material, as to satisfy the first element of a fraud claim, “if it ‘has a natural tendency to influence, or was capable of influencing, the decision of the decisionmaking body to which it was addressed.”
Here, Defendant Brokers allegedly told Plaintiffs that the competing bid on the Merced Lease was “out of the blue” and unsolicited. In reality, allege Plaintiffs, Defendants had been negotiating a higher bid with the Gongs. Plaintiffs state Defendants sought this second bid to induce Plaintiffs to amend their initial offer. Had Plaintiffs known of the discussions between Defendants and the Gongs, Plaintiffs would have maintained their original position. However, Plaintiffs also acknowledge that the Designation Rights Agreement, which is the document containing Plaintiffs original offer, did not prohibit competing bids.
Taken as true, these facts do not support the inference that Defendants’ misrepresentations were material to Plaintiffs’ decision to place a second bid. As Plaintiffs state, the Designation Rights Agreement allowed Defendant Brokers to solicit
Plaintiffs’ remaining allegations, that the Gongs had done little due diligence and that the Merced property was incompatible with the Gongs’ own business, do not relate to specific statements made by Defendants. According to the Complaint, Defendants presented Plaintiffs with a binding letter of intent, which, on its face, Plaintiffs agreed was legitimate. The letter of intent, in paragraph 7, specifically states that there is no applicable due diligence period. And nothing in the letter addresses the Gongs’ planned use for the Merced property.
Nor is there a viable fraud by omission claim. To survive a motion to dismiss on this theory, a plaintiff must plausibly allege a deliberate concealment of material facts.
Because Plaintiffs do not sufficiently plead that Defendant Brokers’ misrepresentations were material to the decision to place a second bid, or that there was a deliberate concealment of material information, there is no need to detail the remaining elements of a Delaware common law fraud claim. Plaintiffs’ Complaint fails on these grounds.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint fvill be granted without prejudice. Plaintiffs will be given an opportunity to amend the Complaint within 30 days of the issuance of this opinion. The amended complaint should-include specific allegations supporting Plaintiffs’ fraud claim under Delaware law.
An order will be issued.
. “The court is not required to state findings or conclusions when ruling on a motion under Rule 12_” Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7052(a)(3). Accordingly, the Court herein makes no findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Rule 7052 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.
. Case No. 13-11565, D.I. 785.
. Id. at D.I. 836.
. Adv. Case No. 14-50103, D.I. 13, Ex. H, p. 9 ¶ 16. All further references made will be to the docket of this adversary proceeding, unless otherwise stated.
. Additionally, there are twenty-five unidentified defendants, whose names are unknown to Plaintiffs.
. D.I.l ¶ 24.
. Id. at ¶ 19.
. Id. at ¶ 28.
. Id. at ¶ 29.
. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 8(a) and 12(b)(6) are made applicable to this adversary proceeding pursuant to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure 7008 and 7012, respectively.
. Kost v. Kozakiewicz, 1 F.3d 176, 183 (3d Cir. 1993) ("The pleader is required to set forth sufficient information to outline the elements of his claim or to permit inferences to be drawn that these elements exist.” (citations omitted)).
. Fowler v. UPMC Shadyside, 578 F.3d 203, 209 (3d Cir. 2009).
. 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007).
. 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009).
. Fowler, 578 F.3d at 210.
. See Fowler, 578 F.3d at 210.
. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937. See also Sands v. McCormick, 502 F.3d 263, 268 (3d Cir. 2007) (citations omitted); Bartow v. Cambridge Springs SCI, 285 Fed.Appx. 862, 863 (3d Cir. 2008) ("While facts must be accepted as alleged, 'this does not automatically extend to bald assertions, subjective characterizations, or legal conclusions.’ "); General Motors Corp. v. New A.C. Chevrolet, Inc., 263 F.3d 296, 333 (3d Cir. 2001) (“Liberal construction has its limits, for the pleading must at least set forth sufficient information for the court to determine whether some recognized legal theory exists on which relief could be accorded the pleader. Conclusoiy allegations or legal conclusions masquerading as factual conclusions will not suffice to prevent a motion to dismiss. While facts must be accepted as alleged, this does not automatically extend to bald assertions, subjective characterizations, or legal conclusions.” (citations omitted)).
. Fowler, 578 F.3d at 210 (internal quotations omitted). See also Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937 ("While legal conclusions can provide the framework of a complaint, they must be supported by factual allegations.”); Buckley v. Merrill Lynch & Co. (In re DVI, Inc.), 2008 WL 4239120, 2008 Bankr.LEXIS 2338 (Bankr.D.Del. Sept. 16, 2008) ("Rule 8(a) requires a showing rather than a blanket assertion of an entitlement to relief. We caution that without some factual allegation in the complaint, a claimant cannot satisfy the requirement that he or she provide not only fair notice, but also the grounds on which the claim rests.” (citations omitted)).
. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937.
. Id. at 681, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (“It is the con-clusory nature of [plaintiff’s] allegations, rather than their extravagantly fanciful nature, that disentitles them to the presumption of truth.").
. Id. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937.
. Fowler, 578 F.3d at 210-11. See also Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (holding that a court must take the complaint’s allegations as true, no matter how incredulous the court may be); Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 ("Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.... When there are well-plead factual allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.”); Winer Family Trust v. Queen, 503 F.3d 319, 327 (3d Cir. 2007); Carino v. Stefan, 376 F.3d 156, 159 (3d Cir. 2004). The Court may also consider documents attached as exhibits to the Complaint and any documents incorporated into the Complaint by reference. In re Fruehauf Trailer Corp., 250 B.R. 168, 183 (Bankr.D.Del. 2000) (citing PBGC v. White, 998 F.2d 1192, 1196 (3d Cir. 1993)). "[I]f the allegations of [the] complaint are contradicted by documents made part thereof, the document controls and the Court need not accept as true allegations of the complaint.” Sierra Invs., LLC v. SHC, Inc. (In re SHC, Inc.), 329 B.R. 438, 442 (Bankr.D.Del. 2005).See also Sunquest Info. Sys., Inc. v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 40 F.Supp.2d 644, 649 (W.D.Pa. 1999) ("In the event of a factual discrepancy between the pleadings and the attached exhibit, the exhibit controls.” (citations omitted)).
. Fowler, 578 F.3d at 211 (internal quotations omitted) ("[A] complaint must do more than allege the plaintiff's entitlement to relief. A complaint has to 'show' such an entitlement with its facts.” (citations omitted)). "The plaintiff must put some 'meat on the bones’ by presenting sufficient factual allegations to explain the basis for its claim.” Buckley v. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (In re DVI, Inc.), 2008 WL 4239120, at *4, 2008 Bankr.LEXIS 2338, at *13 (Bankr.D.Del. Sept. 16, 2008).
. In re Ins. Brokerage Antitrust Litig., 618 F.3d 300 (3d Cir. 2010). See also Arista Records LLC v. Doe, 604 F.3d 110, 120-21 (2d Cir. 2010) (stating that Twombly and Iqbal require factual amplification where needed to render a claim plausible, not pleadings of specific evidence or extra facts beyond what is needed to make a claim plausible).
. D.I. 13, Ex. F, p. 19.
. Id. at 8 (quoting Gloucester Holding Corp. v. U.S. Tape & Sticky Prods., LLC, 832 A.2d 116, 124 (Del.Ch. 2003).
. In re Am. LaFrance, LLC, 461 B.R. 267, 272 (Bankr.D.Del. 2011); See Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno, 454 U.S. 235, 102 S.Ct. 252, 70 L.Ed.2d 419 (1981).
. Abry Partners V, L.P. v. F & W Acquisition LLC, 891 A.2d 1032, 1046 (Del.Ch. 2006).
. Id. at 1048.
. See In re Opus E., L.L.C., 480 B.R. 561, 572 (Bankr.D.Del. 2012) (presenting substantially the same test, but omitting that the second element can be satisfied even where a defendant makes a representation with reckless indifference to the truth); See also Harman v. Masoneilan Int’l, Inc., 442 A.2d 487, 499 (Del. 1982) ("The elements of 'actionable fraud' consist of a false representation of a material fact knowingly made with intent to be believed to one who, ignorant of its falsity, relies thereon and is thereby deceived”); See also NACCO Indus., Inc. v. Applica Inc., 997 A.2d 1, 29 (Del.Ch. 2009) ("Equally important, the false statement must have been material”).
. Kungys v. United States, 485 U.S. 759, 770, 108 S.Ct. 1537, 99 L.Ed.2d 839 (1988) (citations omitted); Montgomery v. Jacob Bros. Co., 35 Del. 112, 159 A. 374 (Del.Super. 1931) (a defendant's representations are material if they "relate to matters of substance and of such importance as to influence the action of the party to whom the representations are made”).
. Kungys, 485 U.S. at 774, 108 S.Ct. 1537.
. Id. at 775, 108 S.Ct. 1537.
. Segovia v. Equities First Holdings, LLC, No. CIV.A.06C09-149-JRS, 2008 WL 2251218, at *21 (Del.Super. May 30, 2008) ("A deliberate concealment of material facts may also give rise to fraud.'').
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN RE: OSC 1 LIQUIDATING CORPORATION f/k/a Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation, Debtors Alamo Group, LLC and Kirin Alamo, LLC v. A & G Realty Partners, LLC, Michael Jerbich, and Does 1-25
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published